Laminated vehicle spring



May 31, 1932.

G. w. CRABTREE 1,860,656 LAMINATED VEHICLE SPRING Filed Jan. 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l GEHEE- W 1 HHETREE mbt/mim May 31, 1932. G. w. CRABTREE LAMINATED VEHICLE SPRING Filed Jan. 9, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 G50/m5 w- @HHH m55 May 31, 1932. G. W. cRABTRr-:E

LAMINATED VEH-I CLE SPRING Filed Jan. 9, 1.928 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 EEEE W PHETPE E Maf 31, 1932- G. w. cRABTRt-:E 1,860,656

LAMINA'I'ED VEHTCLE SPRING Filed Jan. 9, l928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

v ,mi a llttoznm Patented `Mayfk 31, 1932 P ATE NT OFF-ECE;

enonencnnnrnnn, or cLnvnLANnoHro LAMINlAT-ED VEHICLE' SPRING" Application mea January? s, 1923-. serial No. 245,384.

My. invention relatesfto vehicle springs and .spring controlling: devices', and the invention islespecially applicableto` and; of particular value and utilityin. connection .with lami- K 5 .nated springs and a' vehicle wherein sudden rebound of the vehicle. body is very obJec-v tionable. Thus the object of the present invention. in generalistocheck sudden rebound ,of the Vehiclezbody by .clamping the leaves 3io of the springs frictionally together during a exing movement ,of thefsprings in one direction, and to permit the spring; leaves to play freely when eXed inthe opposite direction. Thus the spring controller clamps the leaves rictionally together when the body springs upwardly or rebounds as when the ,vehicle body wheels meet an obstruction or dr-op' intol a ldeep rut, but when the load: com,- presses the spring the controlling device acts "En automatically to lrelease the clamping pres'- sure and restore normal conditions and free play betweenthe spring leaves. The spring- Ycontroller,may yalso be termed a self-acting rebound check and shock absorber, but it "iff-3 diliersfrom the general run of devices so A view 4of the shell or casing ot the controller.

" Figs. .tand 5 arecross sectional views ofthe springs and' controlling ,devices` onxlines 4-4 fan'dy--'i respectively ot Fig. 2. Figqa'is a: sectional view j amod'ied .form ofcoutroller, and Fig. 5b is avertical section'v transf versely of the same,device.v l l n Fig. 6, Slieetf-2,fisa side viewofl another modification, andaFigs.. 7y and 8 sectional viewsof thesameg. Figs. 9, l0A andll. are side are i and sectional views ofa-further'modication,

and Fig. 11a a sectional view of still' another form. f y

F ig.`12, Sheet 3, is a 'sectional View, of a modified clanirping device which is connected to both the shackle and a spring, and Fig. 13, is. a perspectivev view or' the wedge member shown in section in Fig, 12. Fig. 14 is a sectional view ofV an assembly embodying ab link connection for the clamping device, andFi'g. 15 is perspective view of the consa necting link. Figs. 16 to 20, Sheet 4, are side and bottom elevations and sectional views' representing another modified form ci theinvention-in which. a roller and wedge is used in lieuv of a ball and wedge.

0n Sheet 1 of the drawings', Figs. 1 to 5, l show a portion of a chassis trame 2, and a laminated spring 3l shackled atk its opposite ends to said frame and aiixed at its middle to anV a-Xle 4 according to common practice. i0k However, it should be understood that the invention may be applied to other forms of laminated springs than the kind shown, and that the present showing is only one eXe1nplilication or its adaptability andL use. But asdelineated the springyconsists of a plurality'of leavesv of graduated length, the longest leaf 5 havingcurled ends or eyes 6 6 at itsl opposite ends to receive they shackle bolts 7. One of the shorter lea-ves, the fourth leaf 8 for example, or a supplemental leaf, is also formed ywithcurled extremities or eyes 9 to permit a pair of friction controlling devices AfA to be connected' thereto and thence therethrough to axle 4. A descriptionof one i extend downwardly in looseV but close fitting relation to the edgeslof the spring leaves and a bolt 14 connectsv one. end ot the saddle to the endV eye 9ct the short leaf 8. 'The opposite end of. the saddle is provided with a second bolt; 15 passingy underneath the free end of the third leaf: 16 of the spring, and 100 an eccentric sleeve 17 is sleeved rotatably on this bolt, which sleeve may be hexagonal in cross `section or have a series of flat faces at varying distances from the axis of the bolt to bear or seat against the bottom face of leaf 16 and to provide for adjustment in making connections with sprinfr leaves of different thicknesses and to take-up wear after prolonged use. The top of saddle 10 is of angular formation to provide a straight race or seat centrally thereof for a steel ball 18, and a corresponding seating vchannel 19 for the ball is provided in the top of wedge member 11, the co-acting seats or channels being parallelly inclined in respect to the flat bottom of the wedge member Vand the upper spring leaf 5. A pair of coiled compression springsr 2() are confined within sockets in one end of wedge member 11, and these sprin s bear against one end wall 21 of the sad le, thereby maintaining a constant operative connection between the saddle and the spring by and through the movable ball and the wedge member. The ball is centrally situated to obtain a uniform clamping action, and the differential longitudinal movement which takes place between the leaves when the spring is flexed in one direction acts to clamp the leaves to ether upon rebound of the vehicle body, w ereas flexure of the springs in the opposite direction or under load releases the wedge member, and permits the leaves to slide upon each other as normally. Accordingly, when the spring is compressed all the leaves thereof yield freely to resiliently support the load, but when the reflex action takes place the friction clamping devices act immediately to compress the longer leaves together, thereby retarding and checking their action and preventing sudden rebound of the car body. A lesser or greater number of sprine leaves may be clamped and controlled in ie way stated, dependent upon the load and the kind of laminated spring involved, and the frictional clamping devices may be variously constructed to achieve the desired object with varying results.

Thus, in Figs. 6 to 8, Sheet 2, of the drawings, I show a modified structure embodying the invention, comprising an inverted saddle 25 containing a spring-pressed wedge member 26 engaging the third leaf 27 of a laminated spring, a short supplemental leaf 28 being mounted upon the top and longer spring 29 and connected at its eye end 30 with a bolt 31 which is attached to one end of the saddle.

In Figs. 10 and 11, I show a wedge member 32 riveted to one end of a supplemental short leaf 33 and confined within a wedgeshaped saddle 34 having a pair of cross bolts 35 and rollers 36 in engagement with a pair of the shorterleaves of the spring.

In Fig. 11a a saddle 37 is connected to the eye end of a short leaf 38, and a springpressed cam or rocker 39 is loosely connected .to a presser or friction plate 40 opposite an adjustable rest or clamping member 41.

Referring to Sheet- 3 of the drawings, F igs.y

close a still di erent hook up in which a spring-pressedwedge member 44 is confined within a saddle 45 having a link connection 46 with the shackle member 47 for the spring.

In Sheet 4 of the drawings, I show a modified form of the invention,comprising a saddle 48 which is pivotally connected by a bolt 49 to the eye 50 of a short leaf 51 of the vehicle spring. A bearing plate' 52 is riveted to the saddle to bear against a superposed leaf 53. A roller 54 is carried by a bolt 55 secured to the side walls of the saddle, and this roller rests upon a tapered wedge member 56 which is engaged at one end by a coiled spring 57. A separate cover eneloses and protects the working parts of this device.

In Figs. 5a and 5b I show a saddle or yoke member 10 pivotally connected with a supplemental or short spring leaf 8, and a tapered wedge 11 is seated upon the upper spring leaf 5 between the side walls of the saddle or yoke member. In lieu of using a ball I employ herein a pair of rollers 18 between the parallelly inclined surfaces 10 and 19', and mount the rollers on a common shaft or axle a which is interposed between a pair of compression springs 20.-20, one of which bears against the perforated cross wall b of the saddle and the other against the perforated flange c of the wedge, thereby holding the wedge in engagement with the rollers and against the spring leaf 5 opposite the clamping member 17. Flexing of the spring upwardly at its middle and downwardly at its ends causes a creeping movement relatively between the spring leaves which tends to overcomethe pressure of the compression springs 20 and permit the wedge to slide freely over the top leaf 5, but when a reverse or reflex movement takes place suddenly the relative creeping movement between the spring leaves is also reversed thereby producing an immediate binding action of the wedgel and tight clamping of the several leaves between the wedge and clamping member 17 When the controlling device is secured .to the vehicle spring,the wedge is movably confined within the saddle by Said spring, but in assemblying operations it is found desirable to fasten the wedgey temporarily to the saddle bymeans of a screw or bolt (not shown) which bolt may be inserted through the perforated end wall b of the saddle'and screwed into the screw-threaded perforation in flange c.

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2. A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, including a pair of wedgeshaped leaf-clamping members supported by and frictionally engaged with a spring, means for activating said members by the flexing movements of said spring, and means to shift said members longitudinally with respect to each other during compression of the spring by a load. v

3. `A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring mounted upon an axle, including a pair of wedging members fricticnally engaged with said spring for compressing a plurality of leaves of the spring, and spring means to shift said wedge members longitudinallywith respect to each other, one of said members being connected to the axle, and the other member being free to ride upon said spring and tor be shifted by said spring means. y

4l. A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, including ya saddle member, a wedge member and a spring member adapted to shift said members longitudinally with respect to each other, one-of ysaid members being connected to one spring leaf and the other member having frictional engagement witha sec-ond spring leaf.

5. A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, including saddle coupled to one of the leaves of the spring, and a Wedge member interposed between said saddle kand another leaf of said spring and in frictional contact with said leaf and a yielding member between said saddle and said wedge member adapted to shift said wedge member longitudinally with respect to said saddle.

6. A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, including a saddle enclosing a plurality of leaves ofdifferent length in said spring, and a wedge member interposed l between said saddle and one of the leaves of 7. A' controlling device for a laminated y 'f' vehicle spring, including a saddle, a wedge member in frictionalcontact with a spring,

a rolling element interposed between saidy saddle and wedge member, and means to shift said saddle and wedge member longitudinally with respect to each other, one of said parts being connected to one of the leaves of the spring.

8. VA controlling device for a laminatedvehicle spring, including a saddle having an inclined surface, a wedge member engaging one of the spring leaves having an inclined surface, a rotatable element interposedbetween said surfaces, and means for producing a shifting movement relatively between said saddle and wedge member by a creeping movement between the different leaves of the springs.

9. A .controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, including a saddle enclosing the free ends of a plural number of leaves of different length in the spring, said saddle being connected to one of the shorter spring leaves, and a wedge member and rolling element associated with said saddle adapted to compress the spring leaves together in a reflex movement of the spring.

l0.` A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, a saddle embracing the leaves of the spring, and connected with one of the leaves', awedge interposedbetween said saddle 'and another leaf of said spring and frictionally engaged with such leaf, means to shift said saddle and member longitudinally with respect to each other and an adjustable member for taking up wear in said l parts.

11. A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, including a saddle and a wedge lmember frictionally engaged with a springfor compressing a plural number of spring leaves together, and means for anchoring one of said parts sothat a wedge action is eected by a diiferential movement between the leaves when a reflex action takes place in the loaded spring, said `means including yieldingr means adapted to force said wedge member longitudinally into operating connection with said saddle.

l2. A controlling device for a laminated vehicle spring, including a saddle and a wedge member, one of said parts being connected to a leaf of the'spring, rolling elements interposed between said saddle and wedge member, yand compression springs extending in opposite directions from said rolling elements into engagement with said saddle and wedge member.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

GEORGE W. CRABTREE. 

